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In this piece I am paying a tribute to Dahlia who celebrated her 50th birthday anniversary earlier this year. 50 years ago on March 25th 1970 the seeds of a comet were planted on the earth with the birth of Dahlia by the superstar Vaguely Noble out of Charming Alibi. Her father was a colt in the Sea Bird class. No filly or racemare ever revealed such majestic turn of foot ever, pushing even top class rivals into obscurity or oblivion.In full gear when making the final run in the straight she reminded one of a motorcar doubling its speed and appeared to be traveling twice as fast as her rivals.When making her full burst she gave vibrations of a divine intervention and crushed her rivals in the manner of an army performing a combing operation.
On paper a record of 15 win out of 48 starts may not look so impressive but when one assess the pinnacle of glory reached by this mare in terms of establishing supremacy in big races,one gets a vivid proof that she was a princess. No racehorse, let alone mare travelled so much to acheive big victories as Dahlia. She was the equivalent of a Marco Polo to horse racing.at a time when transatlantic travel was debilitating compared to today.In those days generally limited to a single round-trip flight from Europe to North America. Dahlia globe trotted an incredible 26,000 miles during her career, racing in six countries. A daughter of Arc winner Vaguely Noble, she was foaled in Kentucky but was raised in France. In her racing career she overpowered ten classic winning colts, including winners of the English, French and Irish Derbys, the Arc de Triomphe, Irish St. Leger, Grand Prix de Paris and Belmont Stakes.Dahlia was the first European horse to win the Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont and the Canadian International Championship at Woodbine in 1974, the first filly to win the Washington D.C. International and the only horse – male or female – to win group or grade 1 stakes in England, France, Ireland, Canada and the U.S. Dahlia was owned and bred by Texas oilman Nelson Bunker Hunt and trained in France by Maurice Zilber.
Strangely Dahlia was not so successful in her home territory in France always being overpowered by Allez France, who beat her on a six occasions thy met. However on English turf she reached regions of divinty.She became the first horse to win the King George 6th and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes twice as well as the Benson and Hedges gold cup.
A unique characteristic of Dahlia was that she was never in full bloom till June or July,when she would burst out of her skin.
In 1972 she outclassed the classic Filly Mysterious by three lengths to win the Irish Oaks. For the first time the mare revealed her sparkle and rare turn of foot.
Few horses ever in the history of the race won a King George VIth Diamond Stakes with such contemptuous ease of as effortlessly. In 1972 she defeated some of the finest specimens to have set foot on the British racetrack in Rheingold,Roberto,Hard to Beat,Scottish Rifle,Parnell and Mysterious.Roberto was the Epsom Derby winner,Rheingold went on to win he 1972 Arc with ease rarely displayed in the history of the race while Mysterious had completed the 1000 Guineas-Oaks double. It is hard to find an adjective to describe the racing power or burst Dahlia unleashed in the final furlong after being ten lengths behind at the start of the straight. The performance reminiscent of a motorboat doubling its speed or lightning emerging from no mans land..No mare ever displayed the majestic aura of supremacy as much as Dalhia that day, making the rest of the field look like knights bowing before an empress. She passed the winning post with six lengths to spare, equalling Mill Reef’s record winning margin. To me it must rank amongst the top dozen performances ever by a racehorse on the British track.
In the 1973 edition of the King George even if her victory margin was considerably less, she won with almost equal conviction as in the previous , swooping over her rivals like an eagle. She left rivals like the Queen’s Highclere, Snow Knight, Dankaro, Buoy, Card King, Orsa Maggiore (Oaks d’Italia) and Hippodamia like leaves tossed in a gale. To vanquish rivals in the King George with disdain or set a track ablaze in Europe’s most prestigious race for tow consecutive years is a feat which is comparable to the very best ever in the history of flat racing.
Strangely in the same 1973 season where she attained heights of glory Dalhia finished 17th in the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe, but I really doubt she was at her best.Rheingold was the hero of the day whom Dalhia had mercilessly trounced in the King George.Her next destination was America for the Washington International.Very few horses before her made it across the atlantic to triumph in the Washington International, where she convincingly overpowered the classy Big Spruce in 1973 as well as stars like Scottish Rifle,Hurry Hariet and Card King.She produced her characteristic late runin the straight prevailing by two and three quarters of a length .
Her most notable win in France was in the 1974 Grand Prix de Saint Cloud where she prevailed by a neck from On my Way.
Dahlia also won two successive Benson and Hedges Gold cups in 1974 and 1975 and the 1974 Washington International. She convincingly defeated the British champion Grundy in the 1975 Benson and Hedges International.It went over the Atlantic to America to win the Man O’War stakes and Canadian International Championship.Strangely she was beaten in her preparatory race for the Arc,the Prix D’Orange when seeming to be heading home for victory and was thus made to skip the Arc.Sadly she was beaten into third place when attempting to capture her 2nd Washington International by Admetus and Desert Vixen unable to leash her spectacular characteristic burst.Perhaps age had taken its toll.
In 1975 Dalhia was past her peak being convincingly beaten in the King George and Washington International. Her only win was scored in the Benson ad Hedges International at York.
.In the 1975 Prix Ganay she was demolished by Allez France finishing 6th and was also trounced by Star Appeal in the Gran Premio De Milano.Dalhia ended her racing career becoming the first horse ever to reach the landmark of earning a million dollars.
What may go against Dahlia was her relative inconsistency compared to other champions, that she never won when running against Allez France ,her defeat in the 1974 Washington International and the fact that she never won the Arc.
However we must weigh the burden she carried when traveling and running for four seasons.I somehow doubt in respect of endurance or toughness even a Dancing Brave would have overshadowed her.
Dalhia ended here career of winning the accolade of the British racehorse of the year successively in 1973 and 1974 and American racehorse of the year in 1975 which no racehorse has ever done.
To me Dahlia was the best female ever to set foot on the British turf. Sceptre may have won four classics in 1902,Pretty Polly won three classics in 1904 , Sun Chariot,Meld and Oh So Sharp won the fillies Triple Crown Allez France won an Arc and Miesque won two Breeders cups. However none surpassed the staggering achievements of Dalhia in terms s of racing performance or versatility.
I feel Timeform did not give Dahlia her fair due giving the mare a rating of 135 which is below stars like Grundy, Generous ,Alleged,Troy or even Allez France.Dalhia’s performances deserved a merit close to 140 if you consider the class of opponents she beat in her top races.She destroyed top class colts and fillies with the authority of a Mill Reef or Nijinsky. Likes of Dancing Brave failed to win the Breeders cup when making the journey crossing the Atlantic and so did Ballymoss.Allez France always defeated Dahlia but her career achievements did not scale the height of Dahlia, never winning out of France. Overall I rate Dahlia just a notch behind the racing legends like Sea Bird, Sea the Stars,Mill reef,Nijinsky and Dancing Brave.
Dahlia’s merit should not be judged on the ration of her win -losses where many great horses tower above her, but the sheer supremacy displayed in her big wins and the fact that she won races all over the globe.Perhaps the only race mare or filly who may have given the icons like Nijinsky Mill Reef or Sea the Stars a run for their money.At her best she was as spectacular as anyone and could sit besides the Gods of Olympus.
I still remember well Dahlia’s first King George, back when it really was a race of champions. Her acceleration away from a magnificent field was spectacular.
@befair Would you rank Dahlia the greatest filly or mare ever to race on British soil ?Anyone better ?
@Dahlia1973 Would you rank her the greatest filly or racemare of all?
A unique characteristic of Dahlia was that she was never in full bloom till June or July,when she would burst out of her skin
Is that a deliberate allusion to the eponymous flowering shrub? If so, very good
though they are at their florid best rather later, in August and September: boom boom pompoms are my favouritesDahlia might have been owned by an American but it always grated somewhat that, considering she raced over here for most of her career, her name was pronounced in the Yank manner ‘darlia’ rather than Anglophone ‘daylia’
Have you considered Petite Etoile and Habibti as contenders for the ‘greatest filly ever’ crown?
though they are at their florid best rather later, in August and September: boom boom pompoms are my favourites- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.